Journey of a Book Cover

They say "Don't judge a book by it's cover." Yet, we do. The story would be exactly the same with a plain cover versus an eye-dazzling cover, but there's something dynamic that happens when the picture on the front of a book grabs us.

When my book Winter's Past was finished and professionally edited, there was a giant step yet to be taken in designing a cover that not only would be pretty, but would tell something about the story. In my debut novel, the leading lady is coming to terms with a lost love who shows back up in her life. In that process, she discovers that she may very well still be in love with the rogue, even though she doesn't want to be.

I wanted a cover that would relate to Winter looking back. I found this picture at istock:  

Winter has long red hair like the woman in the photo, she loves the Word of God, and it appears this lady is looking away, possibly into the past. She was my girl!

Because I'd spent a bundle on professional editing and valued the interior more than the exterior, I decided since I'm artistic (cough, cough) I could make the cover myself. I know, I know, but that's what I thought. I assured myself I could do it. After all, I love DIY projects!! So, I learned how to use the OpenOffice Draw program, which is free, by the way, and I came up with what I thought would be my final cover for Winter's Past:

When I held it in my hands for the first time, I was thrilled!

I still did some tweaking and ordered several proofs. But, eventually, I got it the way I wanted it to be--given my experience. In those first months, Winter's Past was available online, in a local bookstore, and sold from a clear bag I carried around with me, and I was very pleased. After all, I'd done the cover myself, and to me, it was a work of art. But as time passed, I began to doubt and judge and compare. I kept reading how people do judge a book by its cover, and how this is an area writers should not scrimp on--and I cringed. I wondered what I should do. Should I try to make another cover? Is relaunching a new cover a good idea after a year has passed? Will people be confused?

Also, with book two in the series on its way this year, I wanted something on the covers to be similar. So I began a quest to find a graphic artist. I went to several different websites hunting for that special "look". Then, I heard of a graphic artist through someone on Facebook, and I went to her site, not once or twice, but many times to look in awe at her cover designs. Suzanne Williams is very creative, and she makes fabulous book covers. Here's her website if you want to take a peek:  http://suzanne-williams-photography.blogspot.com/p/book-cover-graphics-and-design.html

As I compared her designs with my cover for Winter's Past, I felt mine had some major flaws. With the lady's face turned away and the background slightly blurry, it wasn't engaging. On the paperback, the colors were dark and murky. Something needed to change. I wanted a delightful cover like the ones on Suzanne's website. I wanted it to say, "Read me! This is a heart-touching story."

So, I contacted Suzanne and explained my heart for this book. She was so great to work with. She hunted for pictures that would match my characters, and so did I. She offered ideas, and she was very open to me making suggestions and asking her to tweak things. I was looking for an engaging couple, with the woman having a bit of an unsettled look, a bright color overall, and a banner that would remain the same throughout the series.I was happy to find this couple on Fotolia, her with her red hair, green eyes, and a sweet, slightly unsure expression, and him gently pursuing her:

A friend looked at the cover and asked, "Is that what you imagined Ty looking like?" Now, this is a friend who really liked my first cover. "No," I answered. "But, her? Definitely." And, I'd have to say, he's pretty close.

The lacy pink banner turned out great, it representing a bit of wedding lace. In each of the stories in the 2nd Chance Series, this lace will be present in different colors.

Suzanne and I both hunted for a secondary picture for the lower half. I wanted it to say something about marriage, since this series is about the hope of reconciliation. When I found the picture below, I loved the burgundy color and the Bible open to I Corinthians 13, a section of verses Ty thinks about during a tense scene with Winter's antagonistic personal assistant. The engagement ring fits so well with the story too.

Suzanne put it all together in such a delightful fashion, and I'm very pleased with the final product. Changing a cover mid-stream may be confusing to readers. Sorry about that. But in the end, when there are several books in the series, it will be nice to have the continuity of the covers--and the beautiful, eye-catching design. To all those who own the first cover version, just think of it as the first run. (If someone wants to update a Kindle version, go to "Manage your content & devices" on Amazon and upgrade for free.)

Thank you, Suzanne Williams, for sharing your artistic gifts and talents with authors. I'm thrilled with the new cover for Winter's Past. I'm so blessed to be walking this journey of writing books. My dreams are coming true! 

Winter's Past (2nd Chance Series #1) is available on Kindle for 99 cents! (limited time) HERE

A Beautiful Review

I was so blessed by this review of Winter's Past by Paula McGrew...

A beautiful and tender account of God's grace, Winter's Past, written by Mary E. Hanks, is Winter Cowan and Ty Williams's reunion story of love, redemption, and second chances. Entering into this heartwarming, uplifting story and engaging with the characters took no effort whatsoever. Well-written, the story flows smoothly and kept me interested in wanting to know what happened next. Writing every scene in enough detail so they seemed authentic, Mary drew me into the book in a way that made me want to stay within the pages and follow the characters on their journey of restoration and learning to trust again.

Clearly, Mary cares about her characters because they are so three dimensional and realistic that I didn't feel forced to believe they could really exist. Character development was smooth and natural, and as I read, I watched their true traits emerge. Mary showed how God's children - even those actively involved in Christian ministry roles - are not without faults or sin. I enjoyed them because they were far from flawless.

A decade has passed, and Ty doesn't want to hurt Winter any more than he already has. He still loves her and wants to be reunited, even though he knows he doesn't deserve that. Still, he can't ignore the feeling that God wants them to be together. Selfishness and pride controlled him before he found God and allowed Him to work in his heart, and now Ty wants to be the man God wants him to be and the man Winter needs him to be. He wonders if she can ever forgive him.

As thoughts and fragmented pictures of her broken marriage assault her, Winter tries hard to keep from falling apart. When their church ministry plans abruptly change, she and her team members travel to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, a home of many unhappy memories for her. She wonders what God's purpose could possibly be in sending her there. That's when she hears Him speak two words: "Forgive him." She knows what those words mean - forgive her former husband Ty, unconditionally and without second thoughts - and the effort forgiving him will require.

Instead of letting her old feelings control her, Winter knows God insists on forgiveness. Throughout her ministry efforts, doesn't she tell others how God's power can wipe the slate clean? Will she let Him do the same for her and Ty? Her desire to run from the pain of the past is strong, but God's urging her to do what's right is even stronger and cannot be dismissed.

Winter hears God's words and knows He's right, yet she wants to leave the hurt of her divorce behind and move on. Because she's been hurt by Ty, forgiving him sounds next to impossible. She's certain she's forgiven him already, but what if she hasn't? Determined not to give him another chance to inflict pain upon her heart, Winter dreads seeing Ty again. However, she soon discovers she is still in love with him, and what's even more amazing is that Ty still loves with her.

Tender moments offset the gripping and tense scenes, and each time I thought I'd figured out what was going to happen next, Mary threw in a plot twist I wasn't expecting and surprised me. Authentically written, the dialogue helps move the story along in the right direction; and despite a broken marriage and trust issues, the romantic connection between Winter and Ty is unmistakable.

I love stories that include God as one of the main characters, and my favorite part is how Mary did a wonderful job of making sure He was front and center - exactly where He should be. Winter and Ty's constant dialogue with God is refreshing, and their first instinct is to take their problems to Him, no matter what their situation is, or how difficult getting an answer to their prayers may seem.

This book is exceptional and I enjoyed watching this sweet love story unfold. The Christian themes are refreshing and touching, and Mary developed characters I cared about. A book I want to read again, this is a great reminder that God is always by our side, guiding us, gently prodding us to do His will so we can experience His perfect plan.

Paula McGrew
Author of My Heart Beats for You coming in 2014

For a limited time, Winter's Past is on sale for 99 cents!!

Kindle HERE

Nook HERE

Do You Dream about Writing a Book?

 

Seeing a dream fulfilled is worth more than money. Way more, in my estimation.

I could have waited the rest of my life, hoping for a nod from an agent, and never published my book. That’s the road I was headed down. I’d already given up a couple of times.

Now, six weeks after independently publishing my book, family and friends and new acquaintances are reading Winter’s Past and sharing their feelings about this story of 2^nd chances. Holding my book in my hands would not have happened had I waited for more years to pass, just hoping for an open door (or window) in the publishing world.

Instead, I’ve joined the ranks of Indie writers around the world who can say they’ve taken matters into their own hands and their books are now published. And, I’m happy to say, the journey wasn’t that difficult.

After I published Winter’s Past, it seemed like people all around me were talking about the books they wanted to have published. Friends have been working on ideas for years, hoping for their someday-chance, but, so far, they haven’t seen their hopes fulfilled. And time is passing. Could they still get their book of short stories or devotions published? Is marketing possible beyond close family and friends?

YES! By all means.

But it all starts with making a decision. Should you go the indie publishing route? It really comes down to what your goals are. If you hope to make loads of money, writing may not be the best choice. Not that there isn’t money in writing, but it will take time and a lot of diligence. For me, getting my book into the hands of readers has been the biggest thrill. Knowing that tonight someone is reading my book and perhaps the story is touching his or her life means everything.

Has writing a book been in your heart for as long as you can remember? Do you still long to hold your story in your hands? If so, don’t let anything—money included—stand in your way.

If you’re not adverse to hard work, and you have the time to put into it, why not start today?

Of course, it would be a lot easier if you could snag the attention of an agent. And maybe, you should go down that road first. Just so that somewhere along life’s path, you never regret “not” having tried the big time.

On the other hand, you could make a decision to be an indie writer and purposefully pursue that dream, doing the work yourself, and within a planned time (like three months to a year) you could be holding your book in your hands and selling books to friends, family, and new acquaintances through social media and word-of-mouth marketing. The only limit is yourself.

So, if you’re thinking seriously about becoming a published author, what’s the next step?

Dig that old manuscript out of the drawer and start editing with a fresh viewpoint and a new fervor. If you haven’t written the story that’s played over and over in your mind, start writing tonight. What’s to stop you? Nothing! That’s what.

Today's a new day with brand new opportunities. You can make your dream of writing a book come true. I did!

Check out Winter’s Past at http://www.maryehanks.com

A great website for practical advice about indie publishing is www.self-publishing-coach.com

I Thought I Did Forgive Him

When they put out those cute cards at weddings or bridal showers, asking for advice, I always write the same thing. Be quick to forgive.

He’s human. I’m human. We say stupid things—accidentally, of course. He can be an insensitive clout. I can stick my foot in my mouth faster than you can breathe. We’re going to crush each other’s spirits sometimes. It’s sad, but true.

So, in relationships—especially marriage—we must keep reminding ourselves to be quick to forgive. Not just to say the words. Really mean them. If we're not quick to forgive, we can ask God to heal our un-forgiveness.

When I pause for a second to consider what God has forgiven me of, how can I hold something against someone else?

But, what if, one day, God shines a spotlight on your heart—He’s really good at doing that—and suddenly you realize there’s a hurt tearing a little bit inside you each time you think of that awful thing your husband—or someone in your past—did? What then?

Saying “I forgive, I forgive, I forgive” like a mantra isn’t going to help. Well, you can try it. But, from experience, I can say it doesn’t help.

I’ve heard forgiveness—like love—is a choice. But there are some things that seem bigger than us. Like hurt. Especially hurts we’ve held onto—even unknowingly. Sometimes we make an agreement with our hurt. I’m entitled to be angry. He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness. He needs to pay. When the truth is, we’re the ones paying, because we’re clinging to our pain, nursing it, even rejoicing in past wounds to keep them alive, so we never forget.

I’m not minimizing your pain. Awful things do happen to good people. And I hurt with you over any hurts or losses in your life.

When God showed me I hadn’t forgiven someone in my past, it surprised me, because I thought I had. But now that He'd brought it to light, I knew it was time for me to let His healing begin. Of course, I needed to face it, and ask God to forgive me for holding something against someone, when He'd forgiven me of so much. In a moment, our Lord can erase hurt and loss and pain faster than any remedy humans can invent. It was like heavenly oil pouring over my soul. Un-forgiveness was a sneaky, cancerous wound, and I needed the fire of the Holy Spirit to consume the sin and make me whole. And He did.

There’s such a relief when someone forgives me. And I’ve experienced the sweetest peace when God in His love brought forgiveness to my own aching heart. It was all His work. A miracle of healing as great as any restoration of physical health.

Forgiveness  can happen in a moment or it can be a journey. The first step is allowing God's love and healing to pour over us. In Him is true peace--and a forgiveness that goes way beyond our own understanding.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Eph. 4:32 

(I’ll continue my journey-to-publishing topic next time.)

Check out Mary's new book "Winter's Past".

Celebrate with me!

I want to celebrate a huge dream that has come to pass in my life this week. My book has been published! Hurray! Please, rejoice with me. :)

Quite a few years ago, I started Winter's Past. Then I'd set it aside. Then I'd pick it up. Uh-huh, you get the picture. About four-and-a-half years ago, I quit my full-time job and immediately started working on Winter's Past on a daily basis. I did the rounds of trying to get an agent interested in my project. I attended a writer's conference. Then I decided the really big thing I needed to do was to get my story professionally edited.

So I did that.

By the time I thought I had all my ducks lined up in a row, my emotions took control, and I got discouraged. Maybe I wasn't a writer, after all. So I put my novel writing away for over a year. I was still working at youth theater and coming up with some lively material. But I hated that I'd stopped writing my novel.

During the summer I took a part-time job at a local library. And there were parts of it that I really liked. But in the end, I decided it wasn't quite what I was looking for. It was then that I felt I should plunge back into the waters of serious writing and editing. It was like...now was the time. At this point, I still thought I'd go through the (what I thought was) proper channels to getting my book published--find an agent, wait a year, maybe get someone to cheer me on in the publishing world.

A couple of months ago, my son, who was also working on a writing project, started talking to me about the benefits and open doors available today with self-publishing. I know, that! Hahaha. The more he talked, and the more I read about the new wave of indie authors, the more excited I got about it.

But what about a small publishing house without the need for a go-between agent? you might ask. So did I. When I looked up a few that had been recommended to me, I found the waiting time for potential books to be published about two years out. What? I'd have to wait two more years to have my book in my hands? Yikes! I really didn't want to wait that long. Not after all the wasted time I'd already spent.

So I decided to take the plunge and give "indie" publishing a whirl. So...in my next few posts, I'm going to share some of my experiences with you.

Yep--you can see I did it!
And there was nothing--nothing--like holding that book in my hand.
Stay tuned for more.

Check out Mary's book "Winter's Past"